So today I met my two conversation partners for the first time. Edda is from Puerto Rico and wants to be a veterinarian again, since that's what she did in PR. She is pretty good with conversation but has a lot of grammar mistakes and mispronunciations. Back home in Miami she would be labeled as advanced or even perfect. Everyone speaks like that at home. Its more common that people don't speak that well. She is very comfortable with speaking and isn't afraid of making mistakes. I'm taking her to the MFA ballet performance tomorrow night since she expressed an interest in the arts. My other conversation partner is Latifah from Saudi Arabia. This one I am a little confused about because I don't know how to help someone who won't try. She says that she understand when people speak slowly. I think she needs more grammar and verbal practice. She expressed to me that she did not like one of her teachers because she thinks that he gets angry or frustrated when she makes mistakes. I wish I could speak her language so that I could bridge the gap of understanding because sometimes I feel like we are at a stand still. I'm meeting with her on Tuesday and I am observing a beginning grammar class on Monday so hopefully I will be better prepared to speak with her.
Well that' all folks
I get the impression that low levels are super difficult to get your message across. And being from a different culture, there are sure to be tons of misunderstandings - therefore, she can interpret teacher´s insisting as frustration. Not knowing her home language to be able to simply use it when there is a complete communication gap is so challenging! Tienes mi apoyo...!! Good luck.
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